Customer Reviews

HP W2408 Vivid Color 24-inch Widescreen Flat LCD Monitor with BrightView Panel

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Note: Just had this monitor a few days but since no one has written a review I thought I would provide my initial thoughts keeping in mind that HP is not known for its customer support so I am hoping I don't get punished for taking a chance with them. So do keep in mind this is review based on less than a week.

My configuration: I mainly use my MacPro with the standard 256Meg graphics card. I pluged it into the DVI plug. I also have a Dell computer and I pluged it into the VGA plug so I can test post OSX and Vista (Business). However, my main machine is the MacPro so I will leave the details to a Vista person but will give you my intial reaction.

Wanted a large nice monitor without a matte finish and from my observations the HP W2408 was better than the rest of the field. The W2408 is very similar to the W2207 with the glossy screen and mandatory for me a pivot screen. The pivot feature is implemented well although with such a big screen there is only so much you can do with the screen in portrait mode. The W2408 is similar to the W2207 but 2 inches bigger (it is a monster but a nice monster) and a higher resolution. Before I continue let me eliminate some misinformation that ran rampant in reviews of the W2207 which I hope doesn't happen here. The box DOES, I repeat does contain both the DVI, VGA, and USB cables so if you don't have them you've been shortchanged. For Mac users, Yes, I repeat yes, you can rotate the screen if your Mac is at least no older than three years old. A down side is that the software/drivers are for Windows not Mac. However, it doesn't matter. The Mac has it's own drivers and I was up and running within the five minutes. There were some minor tweaks done in "preferences" and the HP on screen menu. On the Windows side I installed the software and happily surprised that I had the latest version. The installation in Vista was simple and uneventful. One downside is the autopivot/rotation software didn't work as it didn't work for some for the HP 2208. My Vista computer with an ATI card can assign a hotkey to rotate the screen so no big deal for me. For the Mac you have to go into Preferences and then click to rotate but I also have activated the display icon to make it easier to change from landscape to portrait.

Now the good part where I can seem less objective. The screen is beautiful! It blows others out of the tub IMO. The colors are so vibrant and a joy to view. Photographs look much more like the real thing and DVD movies almost look HD. Since this is HD resolution and has. HDCP for future expansion with Blu-ray and HD-DVD. It is simply a beautiful screen that looks better what currently Apple has to offer and much cheaper. The downside might be related to the strengths. It is best viewed straight on but the viewing angle isn't that bad. With bright sunlight you might have reflection but I cans imply live with it. It also has an ambient light sensor that helps. Overall I give it 4 1/2 stars (5 is nearest) since it should have more software for Mac (but still OK) and the Vista software doesn't work perfectly but good enough. The price is reasonable and should come down later. Should you instead get the 2207 instead of the 2408? It is $200 cheaper. That's a close call. With the 2407 you get a large screen and believe me you can live with a 24 inch screen. It also has a higher native resolution which I can tell when compared to the 2207. I would say it's a tossup. If you want to save money I think you will love the W2207 almost as much. I spent the extra money so my Photoshop CS3 has lots of real estate.

I tried the competing Acer 24" and returned it due to quality issues (not via Amazon, a big chain). At that chain I saw the smaller HP's, and was impressed by the relative clarity, brightness, and good design of the HP's compared to the other brands in the mega-store. They didn't have this monitor, so I turned to Amazon. Wow! It is so much better than the Acer that there's almost no comparision. The image quality and readability of text is better than the non-defective copy of the Acer I saw (and infinitely better than the off-spec one I got from the chain). The stand is height and tilt adjustable (the Acer lacked height adjust). The pivot feature is very cool, the built-in ambient light senor is neat...I could go on but you get the idea. They include USB hubs, it has pretty decent speakers built in (which I didn't see anywhere in the description, so that's a plus), it's solidly built, it includes cable stays to keep wires organized, etc. This is so far above the average it's just unfair to the other guys. The main thing is the amazing quality and clarity of the display. Oh, and it's bright (although it can auto adjust via that ambient sensor). It was worth much more than the modest premium I paid over the other brands. If saving $100 is critical, get one of the other, cheaper brands. If having a great monitor for a very slightly higher price appeals to you, you'll do well to get this one. I find the monitor such a critical piece of the user experience that it's worth spending a little more to get a good one; I recommend this one.

Yes, this monitor has a good picture (clear, bright, no bad pixels), lots of features, many cables supplied, easy to use, but...the reviewer who noted the top to bottom color shift is correct! This monitor has such a limited viewing angle that from my normal 25"-30" viewing distance, there is a very pronounced difference in image brightness from top to bottom; the same problem exists in the horizontal (left-right) axis also but to a lesser extent. When viewed from a much greater distance the color shifts are reduced because the change in viewing angle from top to bottom is also reduced. But I bought a 24" monitor because I wanted to see more detail on the screen at one time; that purpose is entirely defeated if I have to view from 48"-60". This is NOT the monitor for you if color fidelity is important (e.g. photos)!

If the ambient light sensor does anything, I am unable to detect it. (Update: I had the sensor turned off!)

This monitor's limited viewing angle detracts greatly from what would otherwise be a terrific monitor!

This new style LCD is different in the following ways:
(1) The screen support arm kneels up/down rather than telescoping. This allows the screen to go so low it touches your desk. Great for shorter people. The screen also tilts, pivots, and swivels to accomodate most everyone. However, this design does require extra space behind it for the 'elbow' if set low.
(2) The screen surface is shiny rather than mat. This makes for bright saturated colors. Pictures really pop - looks like a travel poster. Reflections can be a problem though.
(3) Price through Amazon was amazingly low, including low $$ shipping. Quite a bargain. I bought 2 and set them up side by side.

I had been waiting a long time to upgrade from my 17" to a larger flat screen monitor. The monitor that I originally wanted was the Samsung 226BW 22", but I felt I could use the increased real estate that the 24" provides. This HP monitor had the best wow-factor of all the monitors I looked at, and I finally bit the bullet and made the purchase. There are two primary things that I do with my computer (besides e-mail): photo editing and software development. For photos, this monitor is fantastic. The glossy screen gives the photos a pop that a matte screen has a hard time replicating. I also thought that the color accuracy was very good on this monitor. Now the down-side - for doing software development I was hoping that the large screen would allow me to have multiple windows open at once with lots of source code files open at the same time. This worked fine, but I found that after a day in front of the screen reading and editing text my eyes really hurt, enough so that I was actually not looking forward to sitting down at my desk the next day and working on my project. Since it was more important to me to be able to do my software work than the photos, I had to, once again, bite the bullet and return the HP for my original choice, the matte finish 226BW. Now I'm using my old 17" next to the new 22" and I've got the real estate that I want without the eyestrain I was getting from the W2408.

ACCURATE REFERENCE = NO!
HOT LOOKING IMAGES = YES!

Pro graphic designer here - moved to this display from a 2003 Apple
Cinema Display 23". It's not nearly as good as the Apple for detail,
in fact I'll be getting another Apple to replace this one until I can
afford an eizo - but for the price, this is a great panel - just don't
use it for reference (use it for palettes!).

Yes this is a very nice monitor, if your casual about your expectations
BUT
The backlight/bleed on the sides is excruciating
IF
You leave it at the default settings

so,

Start with these settings:
Brightness: 100
Contrast: 40
..and then also do an expert calibration in
your display prefs to recover detail in the
shadows and highlights - the monitor
seems intensity/saturation throttled, big time.
You will see vibrant, saturated, liquid
color - like you've never imagined possible-
everyone else will see pastels.

If you don't do graphics or have reference
needs - this panel is a STEAL :)

Color shifting is a prob, even though I use a Huey color-calibration device my prints still do not print as they look on the screen (all my ICC profiles are downloaded, etc). It's just way off. I received it as a gift from my tech-guy hubby, so I'm thinking he probably didn't get reviews from a professional photos forum, etc.

I spent quite a bit of time researching which monitor I would be upgrading to. In the end, I decided I would go to a store and let my eyes do the deciding. While the HPw2408 might be slightly (and I mean, barely perceptible side by side) less crisp than the more expensive monitor, it's vividness and smoothness were equal. The HP monitor, however, just has a much more impressive visual appearance. The light sensitive backlight adjuster is a very nice feature, and the screen has very nice viewing angles (except perhaps the down angle).

I had feared that it might have ghosting due to it's increased size, but upon playing WoW at it's max res, I have not noticed even the slightest bit.

The long and short of it is, if you want an impressive looking, quality monitor and you're not worried about differences your eye can't really see anyway, this is a great choice (especially on sale).

If I had to complain, I'd say the built in speaker is a tinny.

I wish there was a 4 and 1/2 rating, but since there is not, I rounded up.

I have been looking to upgrade to a 24 inch monitor for some time now. I've been to just about every big box store to check out the screens for myself. Consistently this monitor has stood out from the crowd for its amazing colors and clarity.

With the price Amazon.com now has for this monitor, it was a no brainer.

Pros
1. Clarity and colors-I upgraded from a Sony X-brite SDM-HS95(also glossy screen). My friends always commented on how nice the screened looked for this unit. The HP is better!
2. Good looking frame-the sleek black finish is very attractive.
3. Design-now this is both a pro and a con. The pro is that it swivels, tilts in every which direction, even goes vertical. If you don't have the screen all the way down to your desk the base is basically a perfect keyboard storage area, which makes clearing up my desk space much easier.
4. Gaming is awesome. Ever hear of Oblivion? On 24 inches...sweet. No ghosting at all.

Cons
1. Footprint-Now I thought this might actually be a bigger problem than it actually was. Turns out, nearly all the weight is focused onto the front part of the base, so I actually have the back part of the base off my desk in the back. I was able to reduce the footprint from 11.5 inches to 9 inches
2. Wobbliness- I've noticed this only when I bump my desk. If you type really hard(like maniacally hard) you may have some wobbliness issues as well. I have had no day to day issues, however.
3. Viewing angle- I think this is just a trade off you are going to have to make for a glossy screen. My previous monitor had a similar lack of viewing angle. If you look straight at your monitor from about 3 feet away(my configuration) you don't notice it at all. oh, and its really just vertical thats an issue.

I love this monitor, once you use bigger monitors you wonder how you got along on a cramped 19" monitor! :-)

The colors are bright yet accurate, nice high native resolution mode. The portrait mode is cool but is basically a gimmick I won't use much.

***Important: I felt like an idiot unpacking this monitor because of their strange folded design and ambiguous icons in the instructions. Basically they have a plastic band holding part of the base folded together with an icon of "No Scissors"... So I'm thinking ok on packaging that means to be careful not to open with sharp objects so as not to damage delicate items. So I carefully open it by and and it springs into the open position. Then I struggle for 30 minutes trying to assemble the rest of the monitor properly -- but can't because that banded section needed to be opened as a later step and now will neither open nor close fully! Aaargh! The no scissors was supposed to mean "don't open *yet*". So I finally closed the other hinge squeezed the no scissors hinge and held it tight while rotating the unfolding in the proper order -- then all was fine. But I was afraid to force any parts for fear of breaking my new monitor before even trying it out.

If not for the poor human-factors design of the packaging/hinges I would give it 5 stars.